The power of human skills
What are they? And why do we need them?
You’ve likely spent your time at work building soft skills and hard skills, putting much more effort into the latter.
But, now, a tech-driven, AI-heavy working world calls for a reframe.
I’m going for technical skills and human skills.
You see, I’ve had a squiggly career full of work that has required technical ability. Lesson planning as an English teacher. Command of language as a Spanish translator. Accuracy as a subtitler. Data analysis as a researcher. Strategic planning as a leader.
But I’ve rarely been praised on my technical skills.
Instead, I’ve been complimented on my confidence, pragmatism, curiosity, ability to self-reflect, and the way I interact with and support people. Although I’ve worked across different settings and sectors, I’ve built my career and life on these human skills.
Some people have said, “But you can’t teach anyone to be a perfect human.”
And I completely agree. It’s not about that.
It’s about:
Making sure humanity is at the forefront of our work.
Building meaningful working relationships and networks.
Developing beyond the technical aspects of our roles.
Being an easy person to work with.
Futureproofing our careers.
Although I have a soft spot for human skills, they’re not the same as soft skills.
A person can have well-developed soft skills like problem-solving, time management and a strong work ethic, but that doesn’t mean they’re an easy person to work with, or they connect with others, or they contribute to us working well together.
Human skills do lead to those outcomes.
Human skills are the skills of now and of the future – think confidence, curiosity, and self-belief; curiosity and experimentation; emotional intelligence, supporting and celebrating others; and communicating well.
While the lifespan of technical skills decreases, human skills will stand the test of time.
Research shows that 51% of UK workers have missed out on essential soft skills training, costing the UK an estimated £22bn per year1
Human skills are essential in every career.
If you want to re-train as a software engineer, your curiosity has already kicked in and you’ll now need confidence to step up and re-train.
If you love data analysis, the data is available thanks to the curiosity and experimentation that allowed the research project to start in the first place.
If you work in a tech-heavy space, adaptability needs to be your top skill as you navigate constant change and a continuous flow of new ways of working.
From where I’m standing, it’s not a chicken and egg scenario. Human skills are the foundation upon which we can build everything else.
Ask Yourself This –
How strong are your human skills?
According to a report conducted by social enterprise Skills Builder Partnership in liaison with the CIPD, KPMG and Edge Foundation.
“But what about the things I need for other people?” That’s so thoughtful of you, Ana!